Glenn Beck

[Guest StuCotts]

Just when you thought that buffoons were alredy overrepresented on Fox's roster:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/30/business/media/30beck.html

[Guest 2hard2tame]

Just when you thought that buffoons were alredy overrepresented on Fox's roster:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/30/business/media/30beck.html

He is in fact, a great American.

Sign me up.

[caeron]

I'm pretty tired of egomaniacs of all stripes pretending to be journalists.

I think they do a great disservice to us by turning reasoned debate into moral outrage. It may feel good, but it leads nowhere productive.

[AdamSmith]

I was struck by this in the article:

The conservative writer David Frum said Mr. Beck’s success “is a product of the collapse of conservatism as an organized political force, and the rise of conservatism as an alienated cultural sensibility.â€

Frum is an interesting case. A staunch defender of conservative philosophy, including a tenure as speechwriter for Bush (author in fact of the phrase "axis of evil," though he says he originally penned "axis of hatred," which I think would have been more effective in several respects). But who finally, with the Palin nomination, just could not hold his nose and avert his eyes any longer from the ruination being done to old-line conservatism.

[TampaYankee]

I'm pretty tired of egomaniacs of all stripes pretending to be journalists.

I think they do a great disservice to us by turning reasoned debate into moral outrage. It may feel good, but it leads nowhere productive.

Don't take them too seriously. These cable guys are entertainers, not journalists - whether Beck or Matthews, O'Reilly or Obermann. The make their dinner plate by putting on a show not too elevated above a food fight, not by thoughtful illumination of issues. Sometimes they shed light but that is incidental to their imperative. The show must go on... and to stay on, ratings are paramount. The classic example: the late CNN's Crossfire where heat was much more prized than light. It's all about building and keeping a niche audience. Else, these 'icons' would pen their issues and arguments in thougtful essays online or in print instead of screaming at, or stroking persons on the other side of their desk. The only problem is that doesn't satisfy their ego or pocket book and it overexposes their native intellect to thoughtful scrutiny.

For serious discussions see Charlie Rose or Bill Moyers. I can't think of a conservative conterpart to Moyers. You may not agree with his views but he does present thoughtful discussion with a guest on a point of view.

[TownsendPLocke]

Almost makes one yearn for the true conservative views of William Buckley-I did say almost

Thankful for a very nice feature of my remote-I can remove any stations which offend me,such as Faux,sports,and religious broadcasting.

[Guest Conway]

I was talking with some of my fellow white shirt and tie wearing, goose stepping, right wing friends over lunch today and we agreed that President Obama is probably doing more to effectively organize political conservatives than any Republican presidential candidate could have.

Folks like Glenn Beck are nothing more than the voice of a portion of the electorate that feels extremely disenfranchised by concepts like nationalization of industries and knee jerk taxes levied upon citizens as the result of emotionally charged legislation, ect. During the Bush Administration, folks like Keith Olberman served the same purpose for those who felt equally disenfranchised on the left.

TY is right when he categorizes the current class of talking heads as nothing more than entertainers. I mean, Jesus Christ, CNN has an African American comedian doing a political talk show in prime time now.

However, I would submit that these entertainers are effectively serving as a very public voice of the politically disenfranchised political factions that are currently out of fashion in this country. There is always going to be political dissent as long as there is politics. I regret the fact that the dissent has taken a turn for such public mindlessness on both sides of the political spectrum.

I recall that the first two years of the first term of the Clinton Administration brought about some legislative goals (nationalized health care, don't ask, don't tell) that were extremely effective catalysts for organizing conservatives in the electoral process. I'm sure that the Obama legislative agenda is as disconcerting to some Americans as the Bush Agenda was to others.

The more I watch the current political show, the more I respect former Presidents such as Clinton, GHW Bush, Reagan and Nixon for working to build a popular consensus versus our current position of pitting each party as one of opposite extremes.

Maybe I'm just getting jaded in my old age.

[TampaYankee]

Almost makes one yearn for the true conservative views of William Buckley-I did say almost

Yes, it does. He was the conservative Bill Moyers before Bill Moyers was Bill Moyers. His loss has left a vacuum on the right of a principled reasoned conservative voice. Unfortunately, he could not exist today as conservative principle has been replaced by conservative dogma. One needs only see how the 'popular' conservatives denigrate their own principle-driven voices: Kathleen Parker, David Frum, Pegg Noonan, George Will, to name a few.

[AdamSmith]

His loss has left a vacuum on the right of a principled reasoned conservative voice.

One needs only see how the 'popular' conservatives denigrate their own principle-driven voices: Kathleen Parker, David Frum, Pegg Noonan, George Will, to name a few.

Astounding to recall how Buckley could pound an opponent into the dirt not with O'Reilly-style ranting but rather leaning back almost supine in his on-stage chair, speaking in a barely understandable Yale mumble (cultivated btw by all us Bulldogs in institutional opposition to pear-shaped Harvard accents), the triple martini all but visible just off-camera.

To return to Frum, he is not a greatly original thinker, but is committed to intellectual honesty, insofar as he can make it out. I was gratified to see him finally heave his cookies and stalk out of National Review to start his own publication: http://newmajority.com

(He came to my attention most forcefully one night in New Haven when I was bonking a girl, and she happened to mention Frum had been in the same place the night before. She did aver she had to be somewhat drunker to do him than me.)

[lookin]

(He came to my attention most forcefully one night in New Haven when I was bonking a girl, and she happened to mention Frum had been in the same place the night before. She did aver she had to be somewhat drunker to do him than me.)

So nice to see you, AdamSmith!

It's good of you to come.

Much better than last evening with

That awful David Frum.

[Guest StuCotts]

Sign me up.

To do what?

[AdamSmith]

To do what?

To...

[Guest 2hard2tame]

To...

Comment deleted. No political discussion posts, please. TY

[Lucky]

I am having a very hard time understanding the "no political discussions" rule. Isn't this entire thread a political discussion?

BTW, Conway, the D.L. Hughley show has been canceled on CNN.

[TampaYankee]

I am having a very hard time understanding the "no political discussions" rule. Isn't this entire thread a political discussion?

No, this is about a cable channel personality and his particular flavor of showmanship. As long as we talk about the man, his demeanor, his showmanship, ratings etc., it is an acceptbale discussion.

The fact that his venue is an outlet considered to be conservative in tone and opinions, and many of his opinions align with some conservatives tends to cause some posters to stray across the line to argue the substance of his opinions and opposing views or, more broadly, liberal vs conservative policies, and even more extreme, engage in diatribes about Obama or Bush.

I see a difference.

[Guest 2hard2tame]

No, this is about a cable channel personality and his particular flavor of showmanship. As long as we talk about the man, his demeanor, his showmanship, ratings etc., it is an acceptbale discussion.

The fact that his venue is an outlet considered to be conservative in tone and opinions, and many of his opinions align with some conservatives tends to cause some posters to stray across the line to argue the substance of his opinions and opposing views or, more broadly, liberal vs conservative policies, and even more extreme, engage in diatribes about Obama or Bush.

I see a difference.

only when it benefits your personal line of thinking.

Typical really.

here on out, when I say "oranges" i mean liberals, and when I say "banana's" i mean Obama.

So fair enough to say that Oranges make me sick and Banana's are worthless.

[TampaYankee]

only when it benefits your personal line of thinking.

Typical really.

here on out, when I say "oranges" i mean liberals, and when I say "banana's" i mean Obama.

So fair enough to say that Oranges make me sick and Banana's are worthless.

My personal line of thinking is: no food fights whether instigated from the left or right.

Look, we are not going to countenance political food fights. If you are unhappy with forum policy then you are free to vote with your feet.

[Guest 2hard2tame]

My personal line of thinking is: no food fights whether instigated from the left or right.

Look, we are not going to countenance political food fights. If you are unhappy with forum policy then you are free to vote with your feet.

I just think its kinda one sided when people can post all the negative comments toward great conservatives and political figures all they want, but when I say anything its delete and that's that.

You are being one sides, just look at 50% of the topics in here. Bashing left and right cept when it comes to the left. Kinda like an Affirmative Action for the lib's.

[AdamSmith]

You are being one sides, just look at 50% of the topics in here. Bashing left and right cept when it comes to the left. Kinda like an Affirmative Action for the lib's.

In this thread alone, TY knocks Matthews and Olbermann. I praise Buckley. TY praises Kathleen Parker, David Frum, Peggy Noonan, George Will. I compliment Frum.

Lemme pile on further: Olbermann is really getting old, and Matthews is working hard to remove all doubt that he is a blithering idiot. Of Rachel Maddow we will not speak.

Give it a rest already.

[lookin]

So fair enough to say that Oranges make me sick and Banana's are worthless.

Macédoine de Fruits à la Nouvelle Droite - Bon appétit!

[Guest 2hard2tame]

In this thread alone, TY knocks Matthews and Olbermann. I praise Buckley. TY praises Kathleen Parker, David Frum, Peggy Noonan, George Will. I compliment Frum.

Lemme pile on further: Olbermann is really getting old, and Matthews is working hard to remove all doubt that he is a blithering idiot. Of Rachel Maddow we will not speak.

Give it a rest already.

in here meaning this forum.

[TampaYankee]

I just think its kinda one sided when people can post all the negative comments toward great conservatives and political figures all they want, but when I say anything its delete and that's that.

You are being one sides, just look at 50% of the topics in here. Bashing left and right cept when it comes to the left. Kinda like an Affirmative Action for the lib's.

Your deleted comment in post #13 was a political rant about Obamazombies, skin color, misdirected ideas about GB, the ignorance of whomever you were addressing, your displeasure with his appointments and his handling of the economic crisis.

Also the separate thread you started, which was removed, was more political diatribe about the Obama's abroad. You cleaned it up and posted again, but it didn't change the fact that it is a post to provoke political discussion.

Clearly, you are hellbent to use these forums for political discussion. It just isn't welcome here.